Recipe Hacks: Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries!

As a girl that would always steal the bowl of strawberries the second my grandmother was finished washing them, I am always looking for new ways to enjoy my favorite fruit of all time. Add chocolate into the mix? Oooh, it gets very dangerous.

Other than those that are allergic to either ingredient, who doesn't love a chocolate covered strawberry? It's so simple, elegant, and comparatively speaking, is a lot "healthier" compared to other sweet indulgences. Now, for all fellow foodie friends, I have found the ultimate life hack to making your own chocolate covered strawberries (and STORE them for a long time!) Sorry, Godiva, you will no longer be taking all of my money.

What You'll Need:

• Fresh (preferably organic) strawberries, halved or quartered (12 pieces)
• Chocolate ganache: check out these recipes and tips in making your very own at home! (you can always just get it at the store or make pourable Nutella ganache.
• Ice cube tray and foil

Directions

1. Place one strawberry into each well of the ice cube tray.
2. Once the ganache is lukewarm in temperature, pour an even layer over the strawberries.
3. Once the ganache is at room temperature, cover it with aluminum foil and place the tray in the freezer.
4. For best results, let the tray sit overnight and TA-DA! Chocolate covered strawberry bites :)

See the picture below for those that like pictorial references (or all you TL;DR, folk :P)

For the busy families, college students, and other people alike, this recipe hack is a perfect technique to enjoy and store the classic chocolate covered fruit. What other delicious recipe hacks are there that you like to do at home? Share here and comment below!

Until next time, stay hungry, fellow foodies!

-Amy

Cunningham's Cafe and Bakery is opening on March 26th!

I like to try out new restaurants right as they open. Yes, I know, it's baaasically the kiss of death half the time - new staff, potentially new ownership, new space, new kitchen: everything about a new restaurant is too "raw" and not "broken-into" for anything to be "good," right? You should always avoid the first 3 months of a restaurant opening...yeah, I'm a total rule breaker when it comes to this philosophy. And I am completely not sorry :P.

GRAND OPENING: Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

Cunningham's Cafe & Bakery

1 Olympic Place

Towson, MD 21204

http://cunninghamstowson.com/menu.php

So for all of my Towson/Baltimore County suburban folk, I want to talk about a new cafe and bakery that's coming your way. Those of you that stop in Starbucks or Panera, look no further - Cunningham's combines the best of both words...but does it a little bit better and here's why: 

1. They make all of their breads in house. Yes, head baker, John Aversa is an artisan bread baker that makes all of the bread for the Bagby Restaurant Group. Sorry, Panera, our's isn't even shipped - it's made on site. And you can even buy loaves to go. Yup, so make your own tasty sandwiches, french toast, and deliciously carb-tastic meals with Aversa's bread! (P.S. We have brioche, people).
2. We use locally roasted coffee. And it's delicious too. Many thanks to Ceremony Coffee for providing the BRG with your delicious beans! 
3. Desserts. Enough said, seriously. Our brown butter rice krispie treats have been nicknamed "crack treats." You, will soon know why.
4. Portions are satisfying. I don't know about you, but there are times when I leave Panera or Starbucks still hungry. I was thoroughly stuffed after my monstrous sandwich and latte. Pictures to follow on this post :)
5. Locally sourced with plenty of options. Now Panera does have an awesome selection on their menu, but at Cunningham's Cafe, they can proudly say that 80% of our produce comes from our own farms - how cool is that? Local, sustainable, and delicious. I'm all in.

For those of you in the loop, the Bagby Restaurant Group opened their newest fine dining establishment, Cunningham's, in Towson back in November 2013. To extend off of their wildly successful restaurant, BRG decided to open up an extension off of Cunningham's - a cafe and bakery that sells delicious breakfast and lunch options for the on-the-go busy lifestyles of students, working adults, and everyone else in between. Cunningham's Cafe & Bakery will be open to the public in less than a week! Come check them out on March 26th, 2014!

I had the pleasure of being invited to the the "Friends and Family" soft opening of the cafe this past Tuesday. The perks of working in the restaurant industry and having the right connections is awesome. Just sayin'. My friend and co-worker, Lucy, and I were greeted by the warm smiles of Megan Parker, general manager of the cafe and bakery, and Kate Cefaratti, lead barista and coffee beverage director/manager. Not only are they both good friends, but I was beyond excited to see how they were glowing to finally have the space open. It's been a work in progress and the product is absolutely wonderful :)

We were treated to a $15 credit for lunch and the prices are so reasonable that I was able to get a full lunch entree and a delicious tea latte made by Kate herself! Peach oolong, with housemade infused syrup and steamed milk - absolutely delicious! Lightly floral and fruity with that richness and mouth-feel of black tea. 

Here comes the food, guys. Hold on tight ;) Check out the pictures below for our entrees!

Roasted Turkey Club - baby lettuces from our farm, house-cured bacon, deliciously tender turkey between multigrain bread? Just stop. But wait, I get to pick a side to come with it? Mac & cheese, don't mind if I do. Seriously, make that mac & cheese into an entree - it's that good. ($12)

The Powerhouse - Lucy's pick! Avocado, tomato, goat cheese: a vegetarian's delight! Lucy picked housemade potato salad (which is stupid good). ($9)

So come on up to Cunningham's Cafe, Baltimore. We can't wait to see you! Whether it's for an on-the-go coffee run, a quick bite for breakfast, or a casual lunch with friends or co-workers, Cunningham's Cafe is just the right fit for you. Hey TU! Check it out before or after class one day :)

Until next week, foodies - stay happy and hungry!

-Amy

Let's Talk Breakfast: The Ultimate Greek Yogurt Parfait Bar

I know if I forget to eat in the morning, I get the "grumpger" (or as others may call it, "I'M SO HANGRY!!") So to prevent any of these feelings when I wake up, I try and have a delicious, protein-rich breakfast that will give me sustained energy until lunch time. Usually with a good breakfast, I bring one snack for mid-morning (we'll talk snack options in another post) to keep be going. This morning, I made myself an awesome Greek yogurt parfait that I thought: wouldn't it be fun to post about a parfait bar? But first...let's answer the question: why chose Greek yogurt versus other low-fat yogurt?

In the past 5 years, Greek yogurt has been the latest "craze" - people seem to be buying it even though it's a little more expensive, it looks like sour cream...so what the big deal?

Unlike 'traditional' yogurt, the 4 main differences between Greek yogurt and other yogurts:

Greek yogurt is/has...

1. Strained: it has a thicker consistency which makes it super versatile for cooking as well!
2. Subtle tartness to its taste: instead of being only creamy and sweet, there's a slight tang to the finish for Greek yogurt - yum!
3. Half the sugar: compared to Yogplait Original yogurt (26 grams per container), most Greek yogurt has only 14 grams! That's almost cut in half!
4. Double the protein compared to other yogurt: so in the same 5.3 oz serving size, there are approximately 14 grams of protein in Greek yogurt versus ~7 grams in traditional yogurt.

So, for breakfast this morning, I made this beauty:

Amy's Greek Yogurt Parfait: I have Wegman's plain Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, frozen blueberries and raspberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, homemade flax seed powder, Michelle's local granola (which I'll post a link to).

Now, these are some of my favorite go-to ingredients that I have stocked for my parfait bar...here are some other's you can try!

Chia Seeds

These tiny seeds are PACKED with nutrition. Check out all these these benefits to chia seeds! Sprinkle them over your yogurt parfait as a perfect way to add more omega-3's, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and fiber into your diet!

Flax seed Powder

Now it's super simple to make your own flax seed powder at home (which I recommend doing!) Buy whole flax seed (which has a longer shelf life than the powder) and use a food processor or blender to grind them into a fine powder. The exterior shell of the flaxseed cannot be digested in our bodies, so to receive the full nutritional value, take flaxseed in powder form!

Also high in omega-3's, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin B1, flax seeds are one of my favorite toppings to my parfaits in the morning :)

Frozen berries/fruit

I always have bags of frozen fruit in my freezer - why? Because I can have fruit all year long. Frozen fruit is my go-to secret: it adds natural sugar and sweetness to your parfait, it keeps your parfait cold, and it adds texture and flavor. I recommend buying a couple bags and keeping them in your freezer - perfect for your parfaits, smoothies, and oatmeal (talk about 3, awesome breakfast options right there).

Granola

Ahhh...the sweet, sweet crunch of granola. I am a "texture" girl, so I love the contrasting textures the cool, creamy yogurt with delicious crunchy granola :) 

Be sure when you buy your granola to check the nutrition label - many brands of granola claim to be healthy but add a ton of sugar to their product. Some brands that I love are Michele's (as pictured above: check it out here!), PaleoKrunch (AWESOME option for those that are gluten-free: for more info about PaleoKrunch, click here!), or make your own (check this awesome organic granola recipe here!)

Nuts

Another deliciously crunchy topping to your parfaits, nuts are high in protein, heart healthy fats, and fiber to keep you full and focused. I love adding nuts to my parfaits in the morning (and I pack some to-go for a great snack throughout the day). Some of my favorite places to get affordable nuts would be Trader Joe's and Wegmans. 

So that's how I started my morning - what about you? Tell me your favorite Greek yogurt parfait toppings in the comments below and what other blogs you'd like me to post about! Until next week, fellow foodies...stay hungry and happy :)

-Amy

Hey UMBC! New Restaurant: Taste of Aloha

For all of you college foodies out there that are getting sick of the rotational selection at the "True Grits" (aka the Dining Hall), venture off campus for some delicious alternatives. Want to expand your palate to new cuisine? Check out my new favorite lunch/dinner/carryout spot, Taste of Aloha!

Taste of Aloha 

1405 Sulphur Spring Road

Arbutus, MD 21227

Open 7 days a week, Taste of Aloha is owned by Robbie and Amy Alcain and gives local diners the experience of tasting fresh, authentic Hawaiian cuisine. How cool is it that you can get kimchi fish tacos, K'ailhua pig and cabbage, AND macaroni salad in one place? They also have Hawaiian teas and juices that they sell by the can which are a perfect compliment to your meal.

Once a week, they will have special desserts made by Robert's wife and co-owner, Amy Alcain. These delicious sweet treats will have you craving for more. Vanilla cupcakes with blackberry curd filling and a lemon buttercream? Just stop teasing me. The ones I caved to though: vanilla cupcakes with lychee filling and a kiwi cream cheese icing. They. were. INCREDIBLE.

Saimin - Hawaiian noodle bowl with shrimp and kimchi dumplings

Deliciously simple, comforting and a "hug in a meal," one of my new favorite noodle bowls (and a good variation from my go-to pho!)

East Meets Hawaiian Lau Lau: Local flounder steamed in Old Bay butter wrapped in taro leaves served with a side of Old Bay

Talk about simple, elegant, and local. The fish was so incredibly tender and flavorful that you didn't even have to chew. I dream about this lau lau on the regular.

Kimchi fish tacos: served with a fruit and kimchi slaw

Deliciously fresh and light - a fantastic way to dress up your typical fish tacos. And the mac salad? They're literally...going to be famous for it. It's that good (and they sell pints of it to go!)

The Adobo Moco: two burger patties, two eggs, fried spam on rice with a housemade Adobo gravy

Let me tell you: I want to jar this gravy and put it on everything. Yes, everything. IT IS SO GOOD (seriously, everyone - try this awesomeness at least once before you die. Put it on your bucket list now).

My kimchi fish tacos were happy to see me! And clearly, I was happy to see them too :)

Ka'lua pig and cabbage with rice and mac salad

If it's your first time going to Taste of Aloha, I highly recommend getting this plate. It's authentic, simple, filling, and absolutely delicious. The plate portion lasted me for 2 full meals and the leftovers are perfect on their own, or try them in a stir fry or omelette!

I have basically started coming here at LEAST 1-2 times a week. Robert and Mark (and the rest of the TOA team) is your extended family. They want to bring the food they grew up with into your lives. To be able to have fresh, authentic, and delicious Hawaiian cuisine in Arbutus is a huge turn for the Baltimore food scene. And for you students out there, there's a 10% student discount as long as you show ID! 

Watch out, DC - Baltimore is getting hungrier ;) So proud of how far our humble Baltimore food community has come!

Tune in next week for a new recipe! Also, post/comment to see what other kinds of posts you'd like me to make! I'll be posting every Thursday, so tune in!

Stay hungry,

-Amy